


broken treasure

by rorotea



Category: Natsume Yuujinchou | Natsume's Book of Friends
Genre: Gen, HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY LOVE, surprise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-02
Updated: 2018-07-02
Packaged: 2019-06-01 05:07:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15135767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rorotea/pseuds/rorotea
Summary: Takashi lies awake at night, and is called by Touko...





	broken treasure

**Author's Note:**

> Happy birthday to the Son!! It's a bit late but, waves my hands,

**T** akashi turns over in his blankets, eyes sealed shut. He doesn’t feel the comforting, mighty presence nuzzling next to him, and briefly wonders where Sensei might be. Takashi doesn’t understand why this night in particular is so dark, why it seems the darkness itself reaches into his heart and coaxes unease to grow.

Takashi wants to reach out and bury his hand in soft fur.

The floorboards creak. His eyelids flicker, and then they’re wide open. _A youkai?_ His sight still needs time to adjust, but he wraps the blanket around his shoulders and inches closer to the door. 

“Takashi-kun?” 

The almost-whisper reminds him, all too suddenly, that he could ignore the dark.

“Touko-san?” He slides the door open and faces the familiar silhouette that smooths over his creased forehead. That warms his eyes. He imagines the wrinkles around the corners of her mouth when she smiles for him. 

“Good... You were awake after all… Will you hurry down?” Her voice is pleading, but holds a tinge of something Takashi can’t place. _Guilt?_ She continues, “Shigeru-san has to leave for a trip in the morning, but he suddenly caught a fever…”

Touko’s hand rests at her chin. A wave of cold trepidation washes over him, and he finds himself racing past Touko without needing another word.

_Is it really just a fever?_

_If it’s so sudden, did **I** bring it to him?_

“Ah, Takashi-kun, wait!” The silent home comes to life with the sound of Touko’s call, and she rushes after him. 

The light in the kitchen, a single shadow drawn over the floor, guides Takashi. His eyes dart from side to side, searching for something — anything that should _not_ be there in the Fujiwara home. Shigeru is standing near the dining table, and if Takashi isn't mistaken, he appears as strong as ever.

“I _told_ you that would shock him!” Touko is at the entrance, taking deep breaths.

 _Huh?_

“It got him here, didn’t it?” Shigeru’s wiry laugh floods the room. 

He looks around again. _There are no youkai here._ Except Nyanko-sensei, with a… _cone_ adorning his head. Blinking in bewilderment, he notices the Fujiwara couple’s watchful gazes, smiles like he’d never seen before painted on their faces.

“Where are you looking?” Shigeru asks, hints of a laugh still hanging. He wraps an arm around Takashi’s waist to turn him towards the dining table.

“… Eh?” Takashi blinks again. Touko giggles and places herself at the empty spot on his left. “Let’s say it together, Shigeru-san!”

_“Happy birthday, Takashi!”_

The words are like fireworks, and he finally sees the round, chocolate-covered cake in front of him. He understands now, standing between Touko singing ‘happy birthday’ and Shigeru wiping a knife with napkins.

That’s why Touko’s apron is messy.

That’s why Shigeru isn’t asleep at this hour, even though he has a trip.

Even though they could have done nothing at all, and it would be okay. As Shigeru hands him the knife, Takashi is about to ask, _“Why?”_

_Why did you make this effort for me?_

But he meets Nyanko-sensei’s admonishing stare from across the room, erasing the question from his lips. Takashi swallows. The words on the cake are clear, then blurred. He drops the knife and covers his eyes with his palms. _Don’t look…_

“Wait…” Takashi manages to whisper. He can’t seem to control any part of him...

“Takashi-kun,” Touko’s fingers wrap around his wrists.

Takashi’s name, said with such kindness, only makes his chest tighten more. 

His hands are pulled away.

“Come, I’ll do it with you,” Shigeru pats Takashi’s back, his hand lingering for a few moments. He takes Takashi’s right hand, wrapping his fingers carefully around the knife’s handle. Nyanko-sensei climbs to Takashi’s shoulder, the cardboard cone rudely poking his neck.

Touko is misty-eyed, wearing a giddy smile that Takashi wants to hold in his heart forever. She holds up a camera.

Takashi feels a fragment of himself that had gone missing down the years crawl back into place. The fragment is worn and shaky — maybe a little scared — but it tries. 

Takashi lets himself smile. 

“Thank you…” 

_Thank you._

**Author's Note:**

> This was also posted on [ Twitter ](https://twitter.com/fIeurettes/status/1013665481008537600) here. Thank you for reading! ;v;


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